Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Sauternes
WS 95
WA 96
"Unlike many, the assemblage was made back in January, so the wine is maybe more relaxed at this stage than those samples made up from the different lots, still apart in the cellar. This is also the first year of the new estate manager Vincent Laberg?re, taking the place of Patrick Eymery who retires in June, and he seemed keen to make a statement with this his first vintage. Rayne Vigneau has tended towards a lighter style recently, and this 2009 is a resolute return to something richer, with a more concentrated mouth-feel and 160 g/l of residual. But it is also bursting with fresh fruit aromas, from the higher than usual proportion of Sauvignon (28%) and from the absolute purity of the early October botrytis. The result is a densely sweet but highly 'tensile? and absolutely pure Rayne Vigneau."
Bill Blatch
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Sauternes
WS 93
WE 95
Wonderful, evocative orange marmalade and ginger flavors play around this rich wine. Its botrytis dryness doesn't detract from the intense sweetness, ripe apricots, spice and deliciously refreshing acidity. The richness is in the texture, but the ripeness is in the open, generous fruit.
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Sauternes
WA 93
Tasted single blind against its peers. The Rieussec 2007 has a subtle nose of dried honey, pear, a touch of quince and crushed stone on the nose, the oak better integrated than last year. The palate is well-balanced with stem ginger and honeycomb on the entry. It is linear compared to its peers, there is no flourish on the finish as yet, but it has fine definition and hints of tangy marmalade and lemongrass that should become more accentuated with time. Tasted January 2011.
Varietal: Bordeaux Blend | Location: France - Sauternes
WS 97
WE 98
WA 99
"Pierre Mont?gut has had some challenges since arriving at Suduiraut in 2002. But to have brought off a success like 2009, with the rapidity of the botrytis stretching this large estate‟s systems to the limit, is a real feat. His '09 continues the trend of more concentrated and sweeter wines since 1997 than previously, and, at 160 g/l, it is on a par with Rieussec. However, the resemblance ends there, and with slightly more alcohol and slightly less acidity, the structure of the Suduiraut seems softer and more frankly powerful. There is something of the 1990 in this. The usual minty and lively flavour character of Suduiraut is currently buried under all this power but you see it all there and it will be pushing progressively through during the coming months in barrel."
Bill Blatch